Author: Arthur Avenue

#21 Zero Otto Nove, Bronx, N.Y. (Margherita)

For many New Yorkers, Arthur Avenue is a storied pilgrimage to the Bronx they’ve heard of where supposedly they can get the “authentic” Italian food no longer prevalent at the oft-maligned Chinatown-encroached tourist spots of Little Italy. Whether or not you agree that Italian Shangri-La matches the perception, Salerno native chef Roberto Paciullo is one of the driving forces behind it. The success of his first spotRoberto’s led to the pizzeria Zero Otto Nove(“0-8-9”), which was named for Salerno’s area code (Salerno being the port city about a 45-minute drive south of Naples), and a second location in New York’s Flatiron District(just around the corner from The Daily Meal’s office… stop by around 6 p.m. for a drink and ask for Freddy). The Neapolitan wood-fired pies cook under 900-degree heat for about 45 seconds, and they are exemplary (we can vouch for almost the entire menu, which includes pies with gorgonzola and tomatoes, sliced potatoes and sausage, and the more adventurous Cirilo with butternut squash purée and cream of truffles, but once again The Daily Meal’s panel of experts singled out the Margherita, which features a tangy, balanced sauce, and crust that’s light and a little chewy, too good to leave behind as pizza bones.

On a walk down the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue you’ll spy pedestrians of every age and background ambling in and out of food shops, gossiping on sidewalks and, weather permitting, tucking into slices of pizza on outdoor patios. This is for good reason: Arthur Avenue, aka New York City’s “real Little Italy,” is known not only for its authentic and delicious Italian food but for its old-world charm, community pride and welcoming atmosphere.